Better, but not better enough

Crap, are we cursed by the injury demon or what? tear

We need those reinforcements.

I think this news is ok as well. We really don't need Trevor this series against the Thugs from Enver, but Round 2 will be tougher so we will be able to use his defensive talents. Plus - even ONE sick dunk a game like the one he put over on Grant Hill would be sweet payback to all of us who are agonizing over this. Next series - spotlight on Trevor Ariza! Look out whoever we face 'cuz I know he will come back with some fire in his belly and looking to make a statement - it's going to be SWEET!!!!

GO LAKERS!

I for one do think Denver will lie down and die on the court Saturday.

Lakers in a blow out.

Dr Buss makes a lot of money on the play offs (ask PSlakerfan)

He really needs the Lakers to play as many games as possible at Staples. Sweeps are not good, if we want Dr. Buss to pay these guys all this money.

So if we do lose a few, its actually alright.

Looking forward with you to another Suns loss. - Fatty

Dit da jow!! remember the date May 9!!

Wow, we just can't seem to get a break(no pun intended). The curse of the Diesel lingers on. Good luck to Trevor and Andrew getting well because it just keeps going backwards when we think it's going forward, sigh.

DEAR GOD, PLEASE BLESS AND PROTECT OUR LOS ANGELES LAKERS FROM HURT, HARM, DANGER AND INJURY. HELP THEM TO UTILIZE THEIR SKILLS AND TALENTS TO GET THE JOB DONE AGAINST THEIR OPPONENTS. PROTECT THEIR BODIES AGAINST INJURY. MAY EVERY BONE, MUSCLE, JOINT, LIGAMENT, TENDON, ETC. BE COVERED AND PROTECTED BY YOU. FOR OUR SOLDIERS WHO ARE INJURED, BLESS THEIR DOCTORS WITH INSIGHT AND CLARITY THAT THEY WOULD BE HEALED SWIFTLY AND QUICKLY. WE THANK YOU IN ADVANCE...AMEN!

I agree with Fatty. I really want all the series other than ours to go 7, but I just can't get enough of watching the Suns loose! I've been saying this a lot recently, but it's tough to know what to root for...

I don't think Denver will cave. I think they'll play the same game they've been playing. Consistency is one of the perks of being vaguely incompetent. They'll shoot a slightly higher percentage at home, and ours will go down. We can still win the game, but they've got a much better shot.

Anyway, I'm sure we'll win game four. I wonder what Denver will be like with Larry Brown...But then I don't really care :)

Go Lakers!

its been awhile now since we saw Andrew Bynum and Trevor Ariza play. But life goes on and here they are, the Lakers are going to make it. If we can win this series(of which i believe they can) and move to the second round, i think Utah is beatable at home. The Lakers beat them in their own house. Go Lakers....next year fire GARRY VITTI

ya'll need to check out an awesome article over at Respect Kobe

its all about KOBE's trash talking in game 1 and game 2 and it's about why KOBE's arrogance when he plays basketball is a good thing

http://www.respectkobe.com/?p=31

hell yeah. kobe's in there heads.....the nuggets are already defeated

oh, and this is pretty awesome, too:

http://www.respectkobe.com/?p=30

turns out kobes game 1 was better than people think (ahem, k bros)

***WARNING - THIS POST CONTAINS NEGATIVE VIBE***

I'm sorry for the negativity, but this is beyond ridiculous! Why isn't the training staff/physicians being called out on this team, the most powerful team in the NBA should have the best training staff.

Please review the injuries:

Chris Mihm - diagnosed in March 2006 with severe ankle sprain to return in 8 weeks. Still not 100% 2 YEARS LATER!!!!

Kwame Brown - Out with ankle sprain in 2007. Was never the same.

Luke Walton - Out with ankle sprain in 2007. Still hobbling around. Still not 100%.

Trevor Ariza - Out with broken foot in Jan 2008. Expected to return in 8 weeks. Don't count on him returning in 2 weeks.

Andrew Bynum - Out with dislocated kneecap in Jan 2008. Expected to return in 8 weeks. Don't count on him this season.

Lamar Odom - out with sprained knee and torn labrum in 2006-07 season. Lamar did not miss more time than anticipated. In fact, he played hurt against trainer's and medical advice. Hmmmm.

Kobe Bryant - Variety of injuries in 06-07 season and 07-08 season from groin injuries, knee problems, ankle sprains, and torn ligament in pinkie. Kobe essentially missed -0- time for all of these injuries. Kobe played on several occasions against trainer's and medical advice. Hmmmmm...

I don't know, but I see a trend here. If it was up to the training and medical staff, Kobe would have missed half this season also, and Lamar would have missed a lot more of last season. Those two are a couple of warriors. I'm not trying to imply that AB, TA and the rest are wusses, but maybe they are putting too much weight on the opinion of so-called experts. Any thoughts? Maybe we should steal a couple of guys from the Suns' staff who seem to keep the oldest team in the league relatively healthy. Or perhaps they are juicing those old farts up? Who knows?

Blue goo doesn't work. I think we're all aware of that right.

Dit Da Jow, liquid essential sea minerals, vitamin D, and an occasional glass of milk, should do the trick.

The news about Trevor is simultaneously disappointing and encouraging. Well, it's good that he's beginning to do drills, even if he can't engage in contact... yet.

Well, in any case, it'll be a good day the day Trevor Ariza is back on the court. Laker Nation misses its two wounded sons (Bynum and Ariza) BADLY!

GO LAKERS!

If we are able to put together a lead of 10 points or more in the third quarter, Denver will collapse like a house of cards in a hurricane. It could get ugly for them.

Good. Chris Mihm and Coby Karl need some fricking playing time.

GO LAKERS!

Fatty - with all due respect man, I have to disagree with you on "looking forward to another Sun's loss". I want this series to go to 7 - have these 2 teams beat the crap out of each other & get good & tired before one of them has to face the next round. I want the Funs or Spurs (don't really care which 'cuz I hate 'em both) to be bloodied & in desperate need of a nice long fishing trip!

GO LAKERS!

BrandonC - ugly uniforms - anything other than the Purple & Gold baby!!!!!!
(Although the experiment that Dallas had a few years back gave me nightmares.....)

GO LAKERS!

You know I hate to say ANYTHING that could be construed as negative about our beloved Lakers at a time like this BUT.....

I agree with earth wind and fire's comment. If the Phoenix training staff can keep old injured war horses like Shaq and Grant Hill in peak playing form, why can't we bring Bynum back? And why was Mihm out so long so often that he's nearly useless to us now? Remember when Shaq went to Phoenix and said he agreed to the trade because he had faith in its medical staff?

I think our training staff relies way too much on alopathic (western) medicine. Doctors don't know everything! I know alternative healers up here (NorCal) that have brought people back from very severe knee and other injuries MUCH faster. I'm not talking about faith healers either - there is a huge science of alternative medicine and its about time we started using it along with alopathic medicine.

Or if that's too far out, at least get some BETTER freaking western doctors and trainers!!

We will NEED Bynum against the Spurs/Hornets and escpecially against the Celtics!!

E W & F,

The Laker organization will take a minimum of 8 weeks to get back to you on that. hahahaha.

I personally think that the Lakers are holding Bynum back b/c they believe they can make it through the west without him. Makes sense considering that's what a lot of the pundits are saying. Unfortunately I don't agree and when they find out differently, it'll be too late to bring him back and have him be effective. He would need to be back at least a full series before they need him to be a difference-maker for him to get back into rhythm. It's too bad. Like I said before, I don't want him to come back too early and hurt himself but I don't believe that's the case right now.

They've baby'd him his entire time with the team. I can't believe they don't get how dominant this team is with him on the floor.

Jon K-

No, I erased one of your comments for a perfectly good reason. Try again with different language. It's not simply a "good word/bad word thing," but a manner in which it's acceptable to speak to other posters.

BK

justa

"have these 2 teams beat the crap out of each other"

I respectfully have to agree with you on that part.

But who do you root for when you hate each team equally?

Its like Sophies Choice in reverse.

If you ask "Pig" and Fatty, the Choice is perfectly clear. Our heart wants the Suns humiliated and embarrassed beyond our imagination. Which means a series sweep.

My mind agrees with you, but my heart which controls my body says no. (my wife says something else controls my body, but that is for another days discussion)

Now we could reason that the Lakers without AB are at a disadvantage against Shaq. Some have speculated that a 7 foot Gasol weighing a mere 169 lbs will be pushed around the lane by Shaq, the 'Big Fat Arnold' of Crosby fame. (seriously, that dude is skinny)

But if we are fortunate enough to get to the WCF's, I will be so happy, I don't care who we play.

Fatty - Who still wants the Suns to lose, inspite of Justa's reasoning

Meanwhile back at the ranch - the Sixers are killing the Pistons. Wow - who knew?? I guess over-confidence will get you every time in the end.....Lakers be warned - no time to get too excited. Just focus & play our game at our tempo and we should be ok. I hope Kobe comes out and trash-talks his @$$ off - the McMuggets will "fold like cards in a tornado" - they'll crack like a hard-boiled egg - they'll sink like a stone - they'll....well you get what I'm saying!! Seriously, they are just not mentally tough enough to win this series, so - to disregard my own advice - here comes Round 2!!!!!! LOL!!

GO LAKERS!

The BEAN for MVP and FINALS MVP or NO PEACE!

NO CHAMPIONSHIP - NO PEACE!

Lakers must come out with more defensive intensity in game 3. We get more stops than Denver we win because I don't think that Denver can stop us on the offensive end unless we settle for jumpers and we're off. If we just trade baskets without getting a string of stops we'll be in trouble. It's all about not letting the Nuggets go on too many runs and being efficient and attacking the basket when we're on offense. Even if both AI and Melo go off, we can't let anyone else blow up. I think we've done a decent job on Melo who has had to take a lot of shots to get his points. I think LO will have a great game on Saturday and Kobe will have another special game. Go Lakers!!!!

Sixers may still pull off the upset against the Pistons in their series. Sixers are blowing out the Pistons right now late in the fourth quarter. The Pistons looked and talked like a team that was overconfident and the young Sixers are giving them all they can handle. We'll see which team in all these series has the killer instinct. Hopefully it will be our Lakers. Go Lakers!!!

man the pistons are getting blown out by the 76ers...shows you how much of a joke conference the East has turned into. Those guys are past it and Laker fans should be thankful we have such a young and talented team.

Fatty - I guess I do hate both the Spurs & Funs equally, but still want the series to go 7, and still want the Suns to lose at the end of it all and pack their old, slow @$$'s up and go fishing and cry themselves to sleep every night while wondering who their new coach will be come training camp time. As much fun as it would be to beat them ourselves, the championship must go through the Spurs so that's who I would rather have win their series. I believe we can take them without Bynum and fully expect to be up against the hated Leprachaun's in the Finals (where of course the Purple & Gold will be armed with Troll-B-Gone & win it all with AB making his playoff appearance in a surprise move by PJ and throwing down on anyone who dares get in the way). Whew.....a lot of rambling from a (rabid) Laker fan......lol!
Hope you stuck with the train of thought!

GO LAKERS!